Sweep Yuan

Chapter 91 Fei Julai offers sacrifices to the Five Rivers

The north wind swept across the withered yellow fields, and a few stalks of broken thatch swirled and fell at Fei Ju's feet, while the battle song in the distance grew louder and louder.

"Red robes sweep across the cold tide, iron armor reflects the frosty blades."

"In Hongxian, they devoured the flesh of the enemy; in Wuhe, they hung the heads of the bandits..."

As far as the eye could see, a procession of soldiers in bright red armor stretched across the distant official road, with spears like a forest and banners like a sea, among which the bright red stone banner stood out particularly.

Fei Ju stood by the roadside, feeling somewhat uneasy. He tightened the ring-pommel sword at his waist and straightened his robes, which had been ruffled by the north wind.

"Brother Li, is that the banner of Commander Shi?"

"The Great Banner!"

Although Li Song didn't know how to write the character "纛", it didn't stop him from showing off in front of Fei Ju.

"The garrison commander is coming soon. You stay here and don't wander off. I'll take you there after I've informed him."

"Don't worry, Brother Li, I know what I'm doing!"

This southern expedition, with a large number of elderly and weak accompanying the troops, has slowed down the march. Therefore, there is basically no need to consider the possibility of a rapid advance and a surprise attack on the Five Rivers region.

Shishan changed his tactics altogether and sent out cavalry along the way to issue proclamations before setting off, making a big show of it and "openly" informing the Wuhe garrison that the rebel army was about to attack the city.

This was not because he had become arrogant after gaining some strength, but rather a tactical adjustment after carefully analyzing the current situation.

In just a few months, in the province of Henan and Jiangbei alone, heroes from Yingzhou, Xuzhou, Qizhou, Luzhou and other prefectures rose up in rebellion one after another, and the sparks of revolution gradually became a prairie fire.

The Yuan dynasty's rule had begun to falter, and those among the common people who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to achieve great things, whether by raising the banner of righteousness or serving the court, were all eager to make their move. Officials and troops in various places were on edge.

The "open attack" on Wuhe County was both a reflection of Shishan's confidence stemming from the growth of his own strength and a psychological warfare tactic to intimidate the enemy. The goal was to use a powerful army to break through the panicked city.

The hearts and minds of people are invisible and intangible, yet they constantly influence everyone's choices and actions.

Compared to when the Peng-Zhao allied forces marched south to attack Suzhou, the resistance of the villages and communities along the way to the rebel army has diminished considerably.

As the army marched south, although every village remained on high alert, the villagers, when "actively welcoming the army," offered less platitudes and more information such as whether there were any local heroes or recent government troop activities.

The Battle of Wudu Village had not yet spread and few people knew about it, but the siege of Hongxian County truly established the reputation of the "Red Heart Battalion" and attracted many armed soldiers like Fei Ju to join the army.

Therefore, Shishan specifically instructed the vanguard to send any good men who wanted to join the army directly to the central army, where he would personally meet and assess them, and then assign them appropriate positions based on their abilities and strengths.

Li Song was a cautious man who insisted on reporting before communicating.

Shishan recognized Li Song, a former archer from Hong County, praised him for his reliability, and reminded him that now that he had been promoted to squad leader, he should learn to read more.

When Hongxian City fell, Li Song led Shao Rong to the Chicken Doctor's Clinic, and was subsequently recruited into the Seventh Battalion.

A few days later, Shao Rong carried out a special mission, taking away most of the key personnel and promoting some squad leaders, including Li Song, to temporarily manage the Seventh Battalion, which had not yet been fully recruited.

Li Songyuan thought that his promotion to squad leader was an arrangement made by Shao Rong before he left, but he did not expect that the entire list had been reviewed by the town governor.

To Li Song's surprise, Shi Shan recognized him, calling out his name and knowing about his past.

He has connections above him!

Li Song felt a bright future ahead, his bones felt lighter, and he even had a smile on his face when he sent Fei Ju a message.

Fei Junian was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, nearly six feet tall, with a majestic appearance, a high nose bridge, and thick lips. Although his clothes had many mud stains, they fit him well, giving people a sense of composure and competence.

"This humble one, Fei Ju, greets Commander Shi!"

"Brother Fei, please rise. Li Song said you have a plan to easily take Wuhe?"

Although Shi Shan was a few years younger than Fei Ju, he commanded thousands of troops and held the lives of the city's in his hands. He already possessed the authority of a superior, making Fei Ju dare not look him in the eye.

"Yes! This corrupt official is greedy and lustful, and has harmed many families. The people in the city all wish he were dead. I have some helpers. As long as the garrison commander leads his troops to the city, we should be able to escort him into the city."

The various rebel armies swept through cities and territories with unstoppable momentum, largely due to the Yuan court's own actions. The bureaucracy was corrupt and decadent, the army's morale was low, and many secretly joined the rebels. While the sieges were thrilling, the casualties were immense, and there was always the risk of being overtaken by government forces. If there were truly inside agents, Shishan would not refuse them, but caution was still necessary, and any suspicious points could not be overlooked.

"Wuhe should be under lockdown by now, right? You managed to sneak into the city?"

Fei Ju answered confidently:
"There is an underground canal in the city that leads directly to the Hui River. I only discovered this passage by chance when I was young and playing around. Most people don't know about it."

The history of Wuhe City can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty. Over the course of more than a thousand years, dynasties have changed many times and the city has been repeatedly rebuilt. It is normal that there are hidden channels that the government did not know about.

As a military advisor, Park Daoren stood behind the stone mountain, dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk, looking every bit the hermit. Upon hearing this, he suddenly interjected:

"If the culvert is sealed for many years, it may breed toxic gas. Are you sure it's safe to leave now?"

Fei Ju didn't know who Master Pu was, but since he could stand behind the garrison commander, he must be of high status. He praised him, saying:
"You have great insight! There are several ventilation openings in the culvert, and you can hold a torch inside. Ants, rats, snakes, and frogs live in the cracks in the walls, so there should be no poisonous gas."

After saying that, Fei Ju shook his robes and showed them the mud stains on them to Shi Shan.

“Governor, please see, I left the city this time by taking the underground canal.”

Looking closely at Shishan, one could see a lot of mud, which had long been dried by the north wind. Only bluish-gray marks could be seen. Judging from their distribution and shape, they did indeed look like marks left by someone traveling through a culvert.

"How long is the culvert, and how many people can pass through at its narrowest point?"

Fei Ju thought about it carefully for a while and replied:

"It is about three miles long. At its narrowest point, a person of this size can barely pass through."

Shi Shan quickly calculated and came up with a simple plan.

"Do you have a house in the city, one that can accommodate thirty to fifty people?"

"Have!"

Fei Ju knew the matter was settled, so he agreed first and then explained the difficulties.

"But it's a bit small, it can only accommodate 10 or 20 people."

When Zhao Jun infiltrated Xuzhou as an inside agent, he only had a dozen or so people. With fewer people, there were more variables, but it was still worth a try.

"Fourth son!"

"The child is here!"

Tong Si'er is still short, but these days he has been eating and dressing well, and his face has become a little fuller. His voice is also louder than before.

"Take Brother Fei to find Chen Zhaomo and get four fifty-tael silver cakes."

Fei Ju dared not accept it and hurriedly declined.

"I came to the garrison commander to join the army and kill the Tartars. How can I accept this money!"

Shi Shan waved for Tong Si'er to leave quickly, and explained to Fei Ju:
"The army moves slowly, and you cannot leave the city for long. Contacting righteous people and protecting the extra people in the courtyard all cost money. This is your operating fund. I don't care how you spend it. There will be a reward for your merit after the mission is completed."

Fei Ju was deeply moved and no longer declined, clasping his hands in a fist and saying:
"I will certainly not fail the trust placed in me by the governor."

"Suppress and pacify."

Tong Si'er and Fei Ju had just left when Master Pu stepped forward, bowed to Shi Shan, and said:
"Could you entrust me with the task of finding an inside agent within the city?"

Shishan is preparing to select those who will enter the city to act as his agents—they need to have a certain amount of strength, but more importantly, courage.

"Did the real person consider the dangers involved?"

"Since joining the garrison, I have not achieved any merit. If I do not demonstrate my abilities, how can I secure my current position?"

"Hahaha, good!"

(End of this chapter)